The rhythmic ding-dong of the doorbell didn't just interrupt the silence of the room; it shattered the thin veneer of calm Mario had managed to scrape together since his arrival.

  For a moment he remained lying on the soft mattress before he pushed himself up.

  He crossed the room, his footsteps muffled by the plush carpeting, opened the door, and carefully looked at the 'person' in front of him.

  The room service staff wore tailored uniforms in deep charcoal and muted gold. The fabric held a soft sheen, gold thread tracing the edges of the collar and cuffs. Over the chest rested a polished emblem: seven small raised gold studs linked by hair-thin engraved lines, forming a distinctive constellation, all encased within a charcoal-filled gold hexagon. They wore clean ivory gloves.

  In front of them stood a cart draped in a white cloth, with his meal arranged on top, each dish concealed beneath polished covers.

  [Here's your order, sir.] The same soft but emotionless voice rang out.

  "Arrange it on the table over there," Mario said, then he stepped back, swinging the door wide and gesturing toward the kitchen area.

  The service staff entered and prepared Mario's food at the table in the kitchen. After the food was prepared, Mario handed it his golden card.

  A familiar slit appeared on the service staff's forearm before it inserted the card and returned it after the payment was done.

  It bowed briefly before walking out while pushing the cart.

  Mario sat down and opened the cover—it was exactly what he had ordered.

  He then ate quietly.

  When he finished, he gathered the dirty dishes. He walked out and gave the dirty dishes to the same service staff standing outside his unit.

  The service staff prepared to leave, but Mario stopped it and asked, "Where can I buy raw food to cook for myself?"

  [Sir, there is another floor below the ground floor. From there you can buy food, have access to the library, training rooms, and the virtual pod room.]

  'Training room and virtual pod…' Mario paused briefly at the unfamiliar term before expressing his gratitude.

  After that, he returned to his suite, then drifted toward the balcony, sliding the glass door open to let in the cooling air.

  The sun was a dying ember on the horizon, bleeding orange and violet hues across the sky. Mario leaned against the cold metal railing, the wind tugging at his hair. From this height, the world looked like a beautifully rendered map.

  For a long moment he looked at the orange sky before his gaze eventually fell.

  Below him, a single, wide road cut through the landscape, leading straight toward the Academy in the far distance. Aside from his current residence, the landscape was hauntingly barren. There were no convenience stores, no residential suburbs, no flickering streetlights of a bustling town.

  On either side of the pavement, the greenery was aggressive. Clusters of tall trees rose up, almost forming a small forest, their shadows stretching across the path toward the academy.

  In the distance, the academy rose alone, its towering buildings standing straight and precise against the horizon. The vast complex seemed to grow naturally out of the land itself.

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  Though the distance obscured most of the details, he could just make out a dome-shaped building nestled among the taller towers. That was the only feature visible from his position.

  After studying it for a moment, he called up the proficiency panel in his mind. He ignored the skill section and focused on the grayed-out unique skill.

  [Unique Skill: Simulation (?)]

  'Twenty days later and I can use it again…' He stayed there a few more minutes, silently watching as the sun set.

  Returning inside, he checked the bedside clock: 6:09 P.M.

  Though he was already feeling tired, Mario still didn't want to sleep.

  Walking out of the unit, he proceeded toward the elevator and headed to the ground floor.

  Upon reaching it, he approached the same woman from earlier and asked, "Where is the elevator leading below, and also which floor is the library?"

  [Wait a moment, sir. I'll guide you there.] She said.

  After a few moments, another woman appeared and replaced her before she walked out.

  Without saying a word, Mario followed behind her.

  In the corner, they stopped.

  Ding~

  The elevator door opened and they entered inside.

  Inside, the interior was lined with brushed steel. The woman reached out, her finger hovering over a series of buttons labeled 1 through 5.

  [On this floor, sir,] she said, pointing to (1), [you would find the store responsible for raw meat and other necessities. You can also buy wilderness beast meat there, or livestock.]

  She moved her finger to (2) and pressed it lightly. [On this floor, sir, you would find stores responsible for pills which are used in training to strengthen the physical body, or pills used to support the body during training.]

  [It is also on this floor that you can find our small library. However, our books are only information books, history books, or entertainment ones—no skill books for training.]

  She pointed to (3). [On this floor, sir, you would find training rooms. However, if you want to use one, you would need to pay for each hour of use. Those training rooms are special, as they not only have all the equipment needed for training, but they are also equipped with other technology helpful for training.]

  Then (4). [On this floor, sir, you can find a room containing virtual pods where you can play or fight other people virtually, or even fight a simulated wilderness beast. Unlike the training room, sir, you can only use it for a maximum of 12 hours, as you would suffer mental overload if exceeded. So each payment is for twelve hours of use.]

  Finally, she pointed to a small, inconspicuous button labeled (5). It sat slightly apart from the others. [As for this floor, sir, this floor is responsible in case you want to undergo a cleansing.]

  Mario listened to her quietly, not asking any questions as he memorized everything she said.

  Ding~

  The elevator door opened as the woman walked out first.

  Mario noticed that this floor was far more crowded than the nearly empty ground level. Most of the people were youths, a mix of genders, dressed in sharply tailored, expensive clothing that gleamed under the lights. They moved in orderly lines, waiting patiently.

  As he walked along the wide hall, Mario saw more stores lining the floor, each sleek and modern. Most were crowded with youths browsing or waiting in line, their attention focused and purposeful. At the far end, a larger store dominated the space. Rows of neatly packaged pills stretched in precise order, while bright, clinical lights reflected off the polished surfaces, casting a sterile glow over the crowd. Staff in crisp uniforms moved efficiently between the displays.

  Eventually the woman stopped in front of a glass door and said before walking away:

  [This is the library, sir.]

  From outside, Mario could see only a few youths entering, their voices low as they spoke to a woman in uniform seated behind a circular table tucked close to the wall. The soft glow of the overhead lights reflected off the polished surface of the table, giving the small area a quiet, controlled atmosphere.

  He entered and walked toward the woman sitting at the table.

  "Where could I find information about the academies and about the human-looking staff… those same as you, I mean." His voice was calm and neutral, expecting that the woman in front of him was like the staff he'd interacted with.

  The woman raised her head. Her hair was a messy chestnut bun, and a pair of reading glasses sat crookedly on her nose. When her eyes met his, they didn't just register his presence; they saw him. Her eyebrows twitched, and a look of genuine, confused amusement crossed her features.

  Looking at her lively eyes and face containing a genuine expression, Mario immediately knew that he had made a mistake.

  "Same as me?" she asked, her voice rich with a scratchy, human texture.

  Hearing that, Mario was stunned for a moment before a hint of red appeared on his face.

  This time his reaction wasn't due to wearing his usual mask but from genuine embarrassment at making a stupid mistake.

  He hurriedly bowed his head and said in the same tone, "I'm sorry. I thought all the staff were like those. I didn't mean to insult you."

  After understanding, her brows relaxed before she answered with a casual smile. "It's fine. You're not the first to make that misunderstanding."

  The woman's expression softened, a casual, lopsided smile forming on her lips.

  "Most of the kids who come through here think anyone behind a desk is a Model-7 unit. After all, it looks completely human."

  She paused briefly. "…And it's also true that I'm the only human staff here, as I preferred reading books and didn't work as a hunter or other high-paying jobs."

  Mario heard her, but his focus wasn't on her, as his attention was immediately pulled inward after realizing something about himself.

  His mask had shown a slight crack in front of others besides the director.

  'Is it because this is the first time I've made a misunderstanding?' Mario couldn't help but contemplate the reason, as it was the first time he had truly felt embarrassed and hadn't needed to pretend to. '...A genuine mistake, huh...'

  But instead of panic, the mistake felt… refreshing, as if that slight crack had let in a small amount of cool air.

  He remained still for a moment before the feeling eventually disappeared, as if the cracks had been filled immediately.

  'What a strange feeling...'

  Mario returned to normal after the feeling was gone. He put on his usual mask before bowing his head slightly. "I'm truly sorry."

  "It's fine, really," she said, waving a hand dismissively. She pointed toward the back of the room. "Turn straight there, and after four shelves, turn left. You can find the books about the various academies, their Headmasters' and Instructors' biographies, and some events that were allowed for the public to know."

  "As for the AI humans, turn straight there, and at the fifth shelf you'll find the shelves containing the information books about them." She pointed in another direction before turning her head back to the book on the table and reading quietly again.

  "Thank you, and I'm sorry again." He expressed his gratitude and apologized for a third time, then headed in the direction of the academy books.